fearfully and wonderfully made

For you created my inner being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:13-14

There have been several times in my life when this verse has captured my heart and stirred me like no other.  For instance,

• When I first became a Christian and understanding the depth of God’s love for me.

• When I was expecting each of our beautiful children. This verse reminded me of how God was in control and the precious cargo I was carrying were first created by the Creator.

• When I taught prenatal classes. For 15 years prior to becoming an ordained pastor, I had the honour of guiding women and their partners through the joys of pregnancy and childbirth. I wanted my clients to embrace the miracle of what was happening. I wanted them to appreciate the awesomeness that even without being conscience of it, a human being is being formed within her womb! This verse laid the foundation for me.

• And today as I reflect and pray over my son and daughter-in-“love” as they expect their first child, our first grandchild. This cherished little being they carry is fearfully and wonderfully made, first and foremost, by God.

David, the author of Psalm 139, points out in other portions of the Psalm that God knows everything about us; God’s presence is inescapable; and God thinks about us so much that such thoughts can not be numbered. In this scripture we read that there is a God who has a design, a plan for each one of us, with all of our complexities and intricacies, God has designed us uniquely.  God knit us together.  God wove us together. God was intentional about our design — which means there is no part of us that is a mistake or mishap or a blemish.  And that sets the tone for where David, the author of Psalm 139, takes the text next.  David burst into an expression of praise when he says….  “I am fearfully and wonderfully made”.

Fearfully and wonderfully and not words we often use to describe ourselves.   But here in the text, it has a really robust meaning.

Fearfully means to be in awe of, or to bring reverence too.

Wonderfully means to be distinguished by; to be distinct or set apart.

And that sets the framework for everything that David is trying to communicate.

David is telling us that we— you and me — are people who are set apart. We are people who are created and designed to inspire awe, not just in one another but in the world. This is cause for David to worship and praise God.

There is much we can glean from this passage but the most important truth, and I pray you take this in… God has spoken over you. You are distinct, and you are aided to inspire awe in the world and in one another. So, allow that reality to shape how you show up, not just today but in the days ahead!

With all you've got!

What is the most important thing we can do today?

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.

When Jesus was asked by the religious leaders what  the most important command was, He quoted Deuteronomy 6:5.  This verse contains the most important command in all of scripture.

It is an important reminder for us and it was an important reminder to the Israelites. God had delivered them from being slaves in Egypt, but they were not yet at the place that was promised. They were not yet in the place they hoped for, so they are in the middle.

Perhaps today, you too feel like you are in the middle.  You have been set free from things that have held you back but you are also still waiting for something that feels far out of reach.

In Deuteronomy Moses speaks to the Israelites reminding them, in the middle, who they are, and what they have come from and what it is that God asks of them.

We read in Deuteormomy 6:5,  Love the Lord your God with all you heart and with all your soul and all your strength. Essentially it is saying, “Love God with all you’ve got!”  And you might feel like you don’t have much, your heart is heavy and your soul is depleted and your strength is running out and God is saying…. “Love me with all you’ve got!”  “ Draw closer to me”.

As we draw near to God, God will heal our heart, God will revive our soul and renew our strength.  Just like the Israelites needed to be reminded, I want to remind you, of who you are, what you have come from… you are loved and chosen by God and your life has purpose.  Look at how far you have come.  Look at what God has delivered you from. Don’t forget the faithfulness of God and don’t forget His command.

Amidst everything you have to do in your life, the most important thing is that you love God wholly and completely.

Don’t give God half your life.  Don’t give God just the part that is easiest to give to Him.  Remember what God has brought you from and love God with all you’ve got!

Think about what you are thinking

I was watching a show on television the other night. The story was of a  woman who decided that her life was in a rut and she wanted to do something to break up the monotony. In the course of the 30 min show she made some very bad decisions, with horrific consequences, all because she was “feeling” something.  Granted it was a tv show but it got me thinking about how so many of us make decisions.

In fact I read a report that indicated that 70% of decisions made are based on emotional factors and only 30% are based on rational factors. Which means that we make some of the most important decisions in our lives based on how we feel! And depending on how we feel, that is a scary proposition.

In Colossians 3:2, the Apostle Paul gives us a hint that they may not always be the best way to make decisions.  He says:

Set you minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Feelings are good but not when we are ruled by them. Order is important because how we feel follows how we think.  So it is important to think about what we think about.

So how do we do that?

First, we can be people of prayer.  Find a minute or two or five today and pray. Focus your attention on God and just talk to your Heavenly Father.

Second. Read scripture. Perhaps you have a favourite bible app that gives you the verse of the day.  Or perhaps you have a tactile bible (like the one you can hold and flip the actual pages) maybe decide to read through a book of the bible between now and Easter.

And finally, think about what you think about.

Set you minds on things above, not on earthly things.